why is car hire so expensive in croatia why is car hire so expensive in croatia

But, they pre-charged 60 for the fuel (in case we don't refill). Hi Morten, Dear Frank, "The business model seems to benefit both the rental . The companies will authorize your credit card for a security deposit (unless you purchase full coverage insurance). In a whiplash-inducing turn of. And if you head south youll end up driving on this road sooner or later. However, parking fees apply in Split, Dibrovnik, or Zagreb even for hotel parkings. Additional Fees for Car Rentals in Croatia 6. That was how much Hotwire told me it would cost to rent a car for a three-day weekend when I searched last month. Do not try to take off or stop in any hurry. We have a question about car rentals. Take into consideration the number of people that will be traveling in the car, and the amount of luggage each of them will bring. So, youll only need to apply for an international drivers license if your current drivers license is not written in Latin letters. Renting a car in Croatia is easy, if perhaps a bit more on the pricey side compared to other European countries. Since my company often rents with Oryx, and I know people there, I called and asked for the best deal they could make me for a day rental. We will not have rental car in Hvar. Hi Charlie, Having a difficult time seeing if this is even possible. I have A question. Expect to pay anywhere between 15 and 20 more a day for an automatic transmission. The same goes for picking up or dropping off the car out of office hours. Ask beforehand how much this will cost you as car rental companies sometimes charge extra for this service. We definitely know we need to rent a car and we want to go exploring, but we dont know what our starting and end point should be and the best route to plan for that would make the most sense with a rental car. You can arrange different pick-up and drop-off locations. Even for the high season, you can secure a mini-size car for as low as 45 a day if you book 6 or more months in advance. Once in the town, you can use public transport to move around, or you can simply explore a town on foot. Shop around! Don't forget to refill your car before you drop it off. Each was for 100 Euro; we bought one for the car body. Car hire in Croatia starts from just 8.20 per day for a (economy) class car from Budget. Zip car charges rental rates per hour, in many cases starting at $11 per hour, or daily rates starting at . Until fleet sizes are restored, visitors to popular tourism markets such as Tasmania next month can expect to pay as much as $2823.99 for a week-long rental of a Mitsubishi Pajero four-wheel drive . Thank Yulia for the wonderful advice. The exact sum depends on the company; please check with the company or it will also say on the site right away if you are using any of the price comparison websites, Check if the company youre hiring your car from is charging additional fees for, Ask the car rental company if there are any, Check if there is a fee for picking up the car in premium locations, for example, car hire in, Inspect the car thoroughly for scratches and dents on the exterior. Thank you :). Get an assistant to tell you where the lights, aircon, indicators, and other controls are so you dont have to figure it all out on your own. Book early to secure the best rate (same for the extra services you might need such as GPS navigator, baby seat etc.). 1. Also, Nova rent a car Croatia has been voted the best rental car company in Croatia to work for. A Fiat Panda or a Hyundai i30 would work well in this situation and wouldnt cause too much of a hassle if you decide to drive into a small village. In the country I live in, it was recommended by the Sixt office that it would be better to set up the contract for fewer days so I wont be stuck with the entire bill. Do not forget the ticket you receive upon entering the toll! To my knowledge, majority of bus companies offer up to 80% discount for kids up to 3 years old. Some All car rental companies in Croatia will insist on charging you an additional cross-border fee. Some of these car rental tips are specific to Croatia, so be sure to pay careful attention so there are no unexpected surprises on your trip! Anyways, . Sometimes our readers like to know if they can pick up a rental car in one country, and then drop it off in another country. Within the final 48 hours, prices almost always go up. But I prefer to use a comparison aggregator like CarRentals or AutoEurope to do the hard work for me (they are basically a Skyscanner for cars-they will check all the prices for your dates for all the car rental companies in the area). Are there any issues you see in the two border crossings or other issues with our plan to travel by car versus public transportation to Rovinj? You only need an international driver license if your driver license is not written with Latin letters. I'm going on a road trip from San Francisco to New York in a month and I was checking several car rental companies. They try to charge extra. We created this blog to help you plan your perfect trip to Croatia. Hi Frank, We are planning a trip to Croatia and related areas with the kids aged 4 and 7, they are good travellers. Punch your travel plans into the GPS. Hi Yulia. Thank you for creating this wonderful site. There are plenty of companies that offer short term insurance for rented cars, and many of these come in at a much more reasonable price! I cant provide no other proof but a common sense. Neum is a coastal town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before we even start talking about WHAT you should know before learning everything about car rentals in Croatia, let me make it super clear WHY I think it is the best way to travel in that country: The only problem is, renting a car in a foreign country can be tricky! This also means that rental prices increase dramatically in these two summer months. The A1 motorway connects Zagreb with Ploce to the south; The A6 motorway connects Zagreb with Rijeka to the west, The A8 motorway connects Rijeka with Kanfanar in Istria (this road is mostly a 4-lane motorway although there are still a few sections with a single-carriageway road), The A9 motorway connects Pula with the Slovenian border via Kanfanar, The A3 motorway connects the Slovenian border to the west with the Serbian border to the east via Zagreb. As I mentioned before, you can request one from the car rental company for a small extra fee, No drinking and driving is permitted in Croatia! It is safe to rent a car in Croatia. This is the most scenic road in Croatia. insist that the car rental company gives you this paper. For 5 passengers and 5 pieces of baggage(3 big, 2 small) we were considering a station wagon like Renault Clio Estate or Seat Leon Estate. For more, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. Hi Mercedes, Intend on a day or 2 in Zagreb without car before we depart for home. Hour. They have many highways and the views you can catch from a simple 10 km road trip are stunning! I keep reading good reviews about Last Minute Car Rental, but something seems amiss with it being significantly cheaper and the reviews not being very plentiful. So you do not need to buy additional insurance, even if some companies insist that you should buy it. You also need a valid driving licence (more on requirements in the guide below) and a valid ID. Are there any discounts on the public buses for a 3 year old? The most popular car rental brands in Croatia are Sixt, Fleet Rent, Avantcar, ORYX and Enterprise. Motorway A1 going south only reaches as far as Ploce. I will be visiting Croatia and Bosnia in late June and checked with the Bosnia embassy in my country regarding the requirement for IDP. The type of car that you should rent depends a lot on your own preferences. Insurance4CarHire has some of the best independent insurance prices and offers very comprehensive coverage! They knew their average demand and had enough cars available for practically everyone to use. great blog you and your wife is running here, I am also an expat living in Croatia where i run a few websites, i was wondering if you could contact me on E-mail. Do not forget to take your credit (not debit) card because you will probably need it for a deposit (that is, if you are not going to purchase the full insurance). Frank, What I cant ascertain from the websites is if we can take the car into Italy and costs of going through the border. In this post, youll find all you need to know about car rental in Croatia, from reasons to rent, recommended types of vehicles, car rental companies, and rates, to our best car rental tips and deals. Youll feel much more independent without feeling like you need to rely on anyone else. Im curious what your experience is and if youd recommend this company. This piece of document proves that your car has at least a minimum level of insurance required and it is recognized and accepted by different European countries. Dont even ask why this is the case, as it makes no sense to me. i have a quick question. I have a question re car rental concerning Personal Liability Insurance. Which car rental company will be best for you depends on what youre wanting to do with your rental car. I am told that should my son decide to leave earlier than I plan to (4/18-4/28/19) Id still have to pay the full contracted price. That said, we all should use common sense in any country we travel to, things like locking the door before you leave and not leaving an expensive laptop in the front seat would definitely help. We only recommend the things we actually use ourselves and never accept useless sponsored crap. Any advice would be highly appreciated. If I want to spend a night in Mostar with a rental car, would they charge me more? Search Of course, car rental companies write their rules and can insist to either play by their rules or rent a car somewhere else. Thanks. They have English-speaking operators. Do you know a car company that will do this? If you, for example, hold a US driver's license, or any other for that matter, you can drive with a US driver's license in Croatia. It simply gives you much more flexibility. If true is that still current? 2) We were also told for our week long rental which I had already paid for insurance through Expedia, that we would really need to buy two additional insurances (one was car body, the other for tire damage) or they could charge us for small scratches etc. Looking for inexpensive means for two adults and one child. Another Croatian car rental company with offices all over Croatia. We offer affordable rates on a premium fleet of luxury and economy vehicles.You can choose to rent daily, weekly or even long term. But, in my opinion, Google maps are the best and the cheapest navigation solution in Croatia. Smaller cars also have a much better fuel efficiency which will save you money along the way! With all this variability in mind, the average price to rent a car has typically been expected at between 50 to 100 dollars per day.1 However, recent events have caused an upswing in that average. Majority of hotels provide parking (often free of charge in small coastal towns). This surcharge usually amounts to 25 per rental. Ive listed the price in HRK (Croatian Kuna) and USD but please note that the USD exchange rate might significantly change, so make sure to check the up-to-date rates here. Thanks in advance for your reply, were looking forward to experiencing Croatia! Hi Ringob, how much the parking costs and how easy is it to find it depends on the season, the city, distance to the center, etc. because well have to probably catch a taxi or something back to our hotel after we drop it off, so ideally wed be as close as possible to accommodations to keep the fare down. Would love your advice on how Croatian rental car companies compare to international companies when it comes to renting a car in Croatia and driving to Hungary, Slovenia and Italy before returning in Croatia: This part of Bosnia actually separates Croatian territory into two parts, separating the Dubrovnik region from the rest of Croatia. If you only plan to relax at the beach 24/7 in any coastal town in Croatia, you won't need a car. It means you have greater flexibility if you want to rebook later. We intend to be there for a 3 week period this Sept. An IDP international Driving Permit (google!). Whether you want to cruise along the rugged coastline or drive deep into Croatia's pine forests, with easy access to the whole of the country the only issue is deciding where to go first Travel Information But you'll need to pay a young driver's surcharge. . The company has offices in all major Croatian towns, including Zagreb, Split, Zadar, Rijeka, Pula, and Dubrovnik. This time Im driving up the coast and back but of course will have to transit Bosnia I suspect they will claim we need to buy it but I plan to refuse. However, if youre not afraid of a little cold, and dont want to hit the tourist hotspots, winter just might be the perfect time to head to the coast of Croatia. EasyRent. Portugal is the most expensive country in Europe to hire a car, according to new research. Here are a few tips for driving in the cold: If youre driving inland during winter, youre likely to encounter snow at some point. However, if you feel like having an international drivers license, its easy to obtain, and it costs little. Very informative! Its a good idea to familiarise yourself with these limits, but as a rule, always keep your eyes peeled for speed limit signs that will guide you according to the appropriate speed limit. The exact amount of safety deposit for car hire Croatia depends on a vehicle, and a car rental company, but the amount usually comes to anywhere between 1.000 and 3.500 if you don't take extra insurance. So if you only plan on passing through Neum in order to reach Dubrovnik, you don't need to pay a cross-border fee. Since you wont have a car on the island of Hvar (if I understood well), you can travel from Hvar Town, and Stari Grad. Queues at borders can be long, particularly in high season (July, August), from my experience I would count an hour between Croatia and Bosnia in Neum, and another hour at Croatia-Montenegro border. If I were to rent a car, I want to confirm that my US State (Wisconsin) license will be enough. This shortage has had a flow on effect to the tourism industry, with many visitors cancelling their trips due to a lack of hire car availability. You will then need to claim this cost with your insurer (in this case, your credit card company). Do not power up hills. My Husband and I shall be travelling to Croatia next week for the first time . If you dont want to pay the extra charges (it can get quite costly, actually) youll need to bring a baby seat with you, In my opinion, the GPS option is completely unnecessary as Google maps works great in the country and it is available offline if previously downloaded. Any car in Croatia need to be insured, and green card (needed for traveling to non-EU countries like Montenegro and Bosnia) comes with the basic car insurance. This will be for August 2019 dates. Hi, would you know if car rentals can charge you an island fee? A 16 country study of car hire costs worldwide reveals that the USA and Turkey are the cheapest places to hire a car this summer, and Portugal and Italy are the most expensive. During the planning phase of the trip, Tim checks the rates for the major companies and chooses the one with the best price. If you are four or more people traveling together, you will need to rent a full-size car with a big trunk, or even a van in order to comfortably fit you and your luggage. We are travelling on a budget, dont have a lot of time and we will be spending the main part of the trip in Umag. If you don't have a budget for it, you simply won't rent a car. Another thing to consider is traffic and limited parking in the town centers. They also have a free smartphone app with real-time information about road conditions, congestion, and live webcams. You don't need any additional cross-border insurance for Bosnia and Montenegro. 3. Dropoff options (Enterprise rental) are Lucko or Airport. If you are below 21 years of age, you'll still be able to rent a car in Croatia. Split is the best place. The pandemic caused a complete collapse of demand for hire cars as overseas travel came to a standstill. Thank you. However, buying insurance from them isnt your only option. Would I be better off taking the ferry to Rovinji and renting the car there and dropping off in Dubrovnik? Michael Jenkins. For example, the road distance from Umag, in the northwest to Dubrovnik in the southeast is over 700 km. A network of national toll-free roads usually runs parallel to the toll motorway. It happened to us just this past winter in Spain. We want to rent a car in Croatia, but take that car into Montenegro, and then leave from Montenegro. Any questions regarding car rental in Croatia? CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST CAR RENTAL DEALS IN CROATIA! Be aware that if you take a road trip from the north of Croatia down to Dubrovnik, there is a small area of land that is Bosnia and it does count as a border crossing. Roads in Croatia are in excellent condition, so regarding the roads, any car will do. By the way, Croatia has loooots of road webcams, so it would be hard to trick the system in any way. Hidden additional fees that you werent aware of can leave you way over budget after your road trip. 1. as a tourist, is the electronic toll payment system available? Reviews online are mixed but reviews are mixed for every car rental company so was hoping to hear from someone personally. Normally, every car in Croatia is insured for accident throughout Europe, they all come with so-called green card, but car rental companies dont always include it in the rental (although they should). Dubrovnik is the only exemption. I would like to ask about the car parking fee in the city how much average for the cost ? Copyright 2023 | Built on Wordpress using Generatepress Theme | Web Hosting by WPX Hosting, Where to go in Croatia: 16 Places Not To Miss, Driving in Croatia: All You Need to Know Before You Go, Travel Croatia on Budget: Money-saving Tips. 3. It takes time for your car to get up to speed in snow or ice and it takes longer for the car to slow down. So, book your car as soon as possible if you can't drive a manual. Nobody told us that we should vacuum the car ourselves. Never be in rush, take all the time you need, but make sure you check for any damage no matter how small it might be. We were thinking we would fly into either Dubrovnik or Zagreb and and take the scenic route by driving around the country and staying in hotels along each stop. The earlier you book your vehicle, the better rate you will have. In order to reach Dubrovnik the shortest way is actually to pass through Bosnia in Neum. AIR Awareness Outreach; AIR Business Lunch & Learn; AIR Community of Kindness; AIR Dogs: Paws For Minds AIR Hero AIR & NJAMHAA Conference However, even in these situations, we would recommend that you rent a car for a day and take it on Croatian roads to explore beyond your basedestination. Thankyou for sharing this amazing information. You need to be over 25 to rent a car in Ireland via most rental companies. Be sure to factor these costs into your budget! However, car rental in many places is still surprisingly cheap. Where are you coming from to Plitvice? PRO TIP: Many car rental companies will try to upsell you extra insurance saying that you need it to cross the border. In fact, snow can be pretty heavy during the winter in Croatia! Make sure you arent in a rush when returning your car. Best time to hire a car. Some companies also charge extra insurance for senior drivers above 70 years of age. Do you know if you can also drive car rentals into albania and kosovo? I am traveling to the Bellevue Hotel in Losinj with an adult son. PRO TIP: Make sure you have winter tires on your car rental-they are mandatory from mid- November to mid-April! So, I hope you liked my post, traveler! If not, you can always download an. If you plan to stay do most hotels/hostels/etc provide some sort of parking? Mid- and full-size cars make a good choice if you plan on traveling long distances, as they provide more room. The company was the Gold Car, thanks for asking! However, try to be firm and insist on using the green card, and refuse to pay extra. Car Sell-Off. One of the reasons that car rentals are so expensive is that car rental agencies sold off most of their cars during the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, a car rental that might cost $30-80 per day might be a lot cheaper to rent by the week.) It should have been arranged in advance (IMO). If youll be traveling out of Croatia, make sure the car rental company allows cross border travel. And here are our reasons why! Planning our summertime visit for July!! The combination of Covid and global car manufacturing shortages has created a perfect storm in the car hire industry. Return car to the same location. They all come at an additional cost. Hiring a car in Croatia gives you the freedom to travel as you please and make impromptu stops along the way, without having to hassle with a tour guide! The average cost over the course of the entire year is 29. Oh, and dont forget about Split and Plitvice! Any concerns regarding credit card physical appearance? You can then individually check the reviews for each car rental company. But do I still need the IDP if I plan to drive and stay (one night) in Bosnia? Make sure you ask the rental company what kind of fuel your rental car takes. The views are gorgeous! Best Car Rental Companies 4. The minimum driving age in Croatia is 18. Im hoping to rent a car this August (5 Aug, 2019) at Plitvice Lakes and travel to Zagreb and drop off there. We share here the best information about traveling to and in Croatia, including destination guides, travel tips, activities, accommodation, and the best places to eat and visit. A multilane motorway crosses the country from east to west, and south to north. Sometimes you'll want to stay at one centrally-located place and make day trips to popular sights in the region. Make sure the size of the car is appropriate. However, if you don't succeed, then expect to pay around 50 per rental or 10 per day depending on the company. This fee covers any damage that can occur onboard the ferry. Compare car hire in Croatia and find the cheapest prices from all major brands. We figured as we had prepaid for the car this would be covered. With our secure online booking system you can search the cheapest prices online for Car Hire Croatia. Happy exploring! i would like to rent a car in split; what is the closest rental car pickup/dropoff location to the downtown area? The only way to reach Dubrovnik from Ploce is to drive along national road D8, also known as Jadranska magistrala (Adriatic coastal road). It might sound obvious, but in order to find a cheap car rental, youll need to book well in advance as this lowers the prices dramatically! Renting in Plitvice Lakes might prove difficult. In Croatia, you can encounter the same kind of situations when renting a car as you would encounter in other European countries. You really dont have to have it but I always do just in case since it clearly says Croatia is member. I recommend driving a mini Fiat 500 or a Fiat Punto as they can easily navigate the tiny back roads without any hassle. We offer deals on extras, child seats, GPS, additional driver and insurance packages to help you have an safe . Car theft is rare in Croatia I wouldn't worry about that. Thanks for the great tips! Contacts (Zagreb Airport) | a: Rudolfa Fizira 21, Zagreb | t: +385 1 6219 900 | e: [emailprotected]. If you go on your Croatian road-trip, be sure to get in touch with me on Instagram or just follow the rest of my travels. Supply and demand. Now that you have a better idea of how youre going to get around this amazing country, you should start looking into the best places to visit in Croatia. 1. We also have a couple of nationwide companies. The roads are in perfect condition and the views are breathtaking! You should count tolls into your budget however, the fees are a lot lower than in many other countries. If something happens on the road (I am sure you will be just fine the roads are great and the drivers are polite! A few questions: An RV or Camper Van is the perfect vehicle to rent in this situation. Things to Check Before You Rent a Your Car, BONUS Best Car Types for Driving in Croatia, Some practical info on driving in Croatia, 8 Things You Should Know About Plitvice Lakes, Croatia, Where to Stay in Rovinj, Croatia (and Why! Currently, the lowest age any rental company charges is 60 years old. Adriagate. I will be coming from Venice. Note: Drivers from the UK need a full driving licence, their driving licence code, proof of address like a bank statement and photo ID to rent a . Thanks and congatulations for your blog. Its able to handle a variety of different terrains while still providing you with the maximum amount of comfort. If you only intend to cross into Bosnia in Neum then you don't need to pay a cross-border fee. From Split to Dubrovnik is ~ 60 kunas (~ US $8). Are you looking for cheap car hire in Croatia? There are a few general rules that apply in Croatia that you should adhere to at all times on Croatian roads. There are a few standard legal limits when driving in Croatia. Thanks. Hi Trude, While the basic insurance covers you for driving on the Croatian islands, it actually doesn't cover the possible damage that can occur on the ferry itself during the crossing. I thinks the electronic payment system is too much hustle for a short stay in Croatia we have some traffic jams at the toll booths, however they are not excessive nor they happen often. Or, that's what car rental companies will try to make you do. Dinka imunovia 2A, 21000, Split, Croatia? Currently, you can expect to pay around 10 kunas (US $1.40 USD) per liter. If you are asking in terms of car robberies and other theft-related things, you should not be worrying it is very safe there! Driver aged between 26 - 69. When it comes to insurance your credit card typically covers it your US insurance company does not. Luckily for us road-trippers, there are an abundance of gas stations throughout Croatia. We always book our rental car in advance. Me and some friends are planing a trip this summer. Most big chain companies dont even offer that option, and the ones that do charge a lot of money for it and it can only be arranged by advance request. Home / Croatia Travel Tips / Car Rental in Croatia: All You Need to Know About Renting a Car in Croatia. Is it anything to worry about, have you heard of ant issues getting it back? This means that the earlier you book your car, the less you will pay.